U.S. patent application number 11/502526 was filed with the patent office on 2007-03-01 for device for managing the joining of parallel multimedia sessions to main multimedia sessions in a communication network.
This patent application is currently assigned to ALCATEL. Invention is credited to Stephane Coulon, Jacques Litteaut.
Application Number | 20070050509 11/502526 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 35788209 |
Filed Date | 2007-03-01 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070050509 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Litteaut; Jacques ; et
al. |
March 1, 2007 |
Device for managing the joining of parallel multimedia sessions to
main multimedia sessions in a communication network
Abstract
A device (D) is dedicated to multimedia stream connection
management (D) in an equipment (SS) of a communication network (R)
involved in setting up communication sessions between communication
terminals (T1-T4) connected to the network (R). This device (D)
comprises management means (MG) adapted, when a main communication
session is being set up that involves the equipment (SS) and is
dedicated to a multimedia conference call between two or more
internal communication terminals (T1-T3), on the one hand, to
effect multimedia stream connections between the internal terminals
(T1-T3) and, on the other hand, in the event of an attempt to set
up a parallel call between a communication terminal (T4) external
to the main session and one or more of the terminals (T1-T3)
internal to the main session, to set up each parallel call between
the external terminal (T4) and each of the requested internal
terminals (T1-T3) so that the external terminal (T4) is able to
exchange multimedia streams with one or more of the terminals
(T1-T3) internal to the main session in the context of a parallel
session.
Inventors: |
Litteaut; Jacques; (Marly Le
Roi, FR) ; Coulon; Stephane; (Arronville,
FR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
SUGHRUE MION, PLLC
2100 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE, N.W.
SUITE 800
WASHINGTON
DC
20037
US
|
Assignee: |
ALCATEL
|
Family ID: |
35788209 |
Appl. No.: |
11/502526 |
Filed: |
August 11, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
709/227 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04L 65/4038 20130101;
H04L 29/06027 20130101; H04L 12/1818 20130101; H04M 3/567
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
709/227 |
International
Class: |
G06F 15/16 20060101
G06F015/16 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Aug 17, 2005 |
EP |
05300671.4 |
Claims
1. A multimedia stream connection management device for use in a
network equipment of a communication network involved in setting up
communication sessions between communication terminals connected to
said network, which device comprises management means adapted, when
a main communication session is being set up that involves said
equipment and is dedicated to a multimedia conference call between
two or more internal communication terminals, i) to effect
multimedia stream connections between said internal terminals and
ii) in the event of an attempt to set up a parallel call between a
communication terminal external to said main session and one or
more of said terminals internal to said main session, to set up a
parallel call between said external terminal and the requested
internal terminal or each requested internal terminal so that said
external terminal is able to exchange multimedia streams with one
or more of said terminals internal to said main session in the
context of a parallel session.
2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said management means
are adapted to effect a multimedia stream connection between said
external terminal and one of said internal terminals so that said
external terminal is able to assume at least partial control of
said internal terminal.
3. A device as claimed in either claim 1, wherein said management
means are adapted to effect multimedia stream connections between
said external terminal and one or more of said internal terminals
so that they are able to share data representing multimedia
documents via said parallel session.
4. A communication network equipment adapted to participate in
setting up communication sessions between communication terminals
connected to said network, which network equipment comprises a
management device as claimed in claim 1.
5. A network equipment as claimed in claim 4, selected from a group
comprising a user session server and a conference server.
Description
[0001] The field of the invention is that of communication networks
and more precisely that of multimedia communication sessions
between terminals connected to communication networks.
[0002] Technological advances in the field of communication
networks, especially with regard to services, mean that
communication terminals can now exchange multimedia (data) streams,
including when they are conjointly participating in a session
called a main session in the context of a multimedia conference
call. Multimedia communication sessions in conference call mode are
controlled by network equipments such as user session servers and
conference servers, for example.
[0003] Operation in multimedia conference call mode is particularly
advantageous because it enables users who are far apart to
participate actively in a discussion, with the possibility of
exchanging multimedia documents as if they were gathered together
in the same place. However, the user of a terminal involved in a
main session cannot be contacted on the same terminal by the user
of another terminal external to the main session. It is therefore
not possible for an external terminal to send multimedia data to
one or more of the terminals participating in a main session or for
the user of an external terminal to join in a conference call
multimedia session once the conference call has begun.
[0004] The invention therefore has the object of removing some or
all of these drawbacks.
[0005] To this end the invention proposes a multimedia stream
connection management device for use in an equipment of a
communication network involved in setting up communication sessions
between communication terminals connected to the network.
[0006] The management device comprises management means adapted,
when a main communication session is being set up that involves the
network equipment and is dedicated to a multimedia conference call
between two or more internal communication terminals, firstly, to
effect multimedia stream connections between the internal terminals
and, secondly, in the event of an attempt to set up a parallel call
between a communication terminal external to the main session and
one or more of the terminals internal to the main session, to set
up each parallel call between the external terminal and each
requested internal terminal so that the external terminal is able
to exchange multimedia streams with one or more of the terminals
internal to the main session in the context of a parallel
session.
[0007] The management means of the device may also be adapted to
effect a multimedia stream connection between the external terminal
and one of the internal terminals so that the external terminal is
able to assume at least partial control of the internal
terminal.
[0008] The management means of the device may also be adapted to
effect multimedia stream connections between the external terminal
and one or more of the internal terminals so that they are able to
share data representing multimedia documents via said parallel
session.
[0009] The invention also proposes a communication network
equipment adapted to participate in setting up communication
sessions between communication terminals connected to the network,
which network equipment comprises a management device of the type
described above.
[0010] The equipment may take the form of a user session server or
a conference server, for example.
[0011] Other features and advantages of the invention will become
apparent on examining the following detailed description and the
appended drawing, in which the single FIGURE shows in a highly
schematic form four multimedia communication terminals connected to
a network equipped with a conference server and a user session
server comprising one embodiment of a management device of the
invention. The appended drawing constitutes part of the description
of the invention as well as contributing to the definition of the
invention, if necessary.
[0012] One object of the invention is to enable a communication
terminal external to a "main" multimedia session of a conference
call in which communication terminals known as internal terminals
are participating to exchange multimedia data with one or more of
those internal terminals.
[0013] To this end, and as shown in the single figure, it proposes
a multimedia stream connection management device D adapted to be
installed in an equipment SS of a communication network R.
[0014] The equipment SS is one of the network equipments involved
in setting up communication sessions in conference call mode
between communication terminals Ti connected to their network R.
Those network equipments comprise a conference server SC and the
user session server SS, which are coupled to each other.
[0015] In the present nonlimiting example, the device D is
installed in the user session server SS. However, it could instead
be installed in the conference server SC. It is nevertheless
important to note that in both cases the device D manages the
conference call sessions and controls (monitors) the multimedia
streams.
[0016] Moreover, in the example shown there are four terminals
T1-T4 (i=1 to 4). However, i can take any value greater than or
equal to three (3).
[0017] The communication terminals considered hereinafter by way of
nonlimiting example are portable computers equipped with a
multimedia communication module, where appropriate of the radio
type (for example of the cellular, Bluetooth, WiMAX or WiFi type).
However, the invention is not limited to that type of communication
terminal. It relates to any fixed or mobile multimedia
communication terminal capable of exchanging data in the form of
signals with another communication terminal via their respective
parent network(s). For example, the terminals could therefore be
fixed or mobile telephones, fixed computers or personal digital
assistants (PDA), equipped with a multimedia communication
module.
[0018] The communication network considered hereinafter to which
the terminals Ti are connected is a fixed switched network (the
plain old telephone service (POTS) network or the public switched
telephone network (PSTN)). However, the invention is not limited to
that type of communication network. It relates to all types of
network in which multimedia communications can be set up in
conference call mode and in particular cellular (or mobile)
networks, cable local area networks (LAN) and wireless local area
networks (WLAN).
[0019] The management device D of the invention comprises a
management module MG, also known as a multimedia conference session
manager, that intervenes each time that a main communication
session dedicated to a multimedia conference call between two or
more internal communication terminals Ti is set up that involves
the network equipment in which it is installed (here the user
session server SS).
[0020] More precisely, the management module MG first sets up
multimedia stream connections between the terminals internal to the
main session that has been set up. It also identifies any terminal
external to the main session seeking to set up a parallel call to
one or more of the terminals internal to the main session and then,
at the request of the external party whose terminal it has
identified, sets up a parallel call between the identified external
terminal and each internal terminal to which it has requested to be
connected, in order for that external terminal to be able to
exchange multimedia streams with one or more of the internal
terminals in the context of a parallel multimedia session in
conference call mode.
[0021] In other words, once it has set up a conference call main
multimedia session, the management module MG sets up a parallel
multimedia session between an external terminal and one or more
terminals internal to the main session and then joins the main and
parallel sessions.
[0022] To this end, the management module MG is active in the
network R at three levels: the user session level (under the
control of the user session server SS, in which it is installed in
the present example), the network management level (which controls
the setting up of the various media involved in the sessions), and
the media connectivity level (under the control of the conference
server SC).
[0023] The device D operates throughout the main session with which
it is associated. It collates all events linked to the conference,
for example the departure or the arrival of a participant. It
manages all media and remains ready at all times to receive
internal and external requests addressed to one or more of the
internal participants and/or to the external terminal.
[0024] Two nonlimiting embodiments of the invention are described
next. In the following two examples, the terminals T1 to T3 request
the setting up of a conference call main multimedia session and the
device D has been advised of this. The device D then sets up
connections between the terminals T1 to T3, the user session server
SS and the conference server SC. The terminals T1 to T3 can then
exchange multimedia data streams in conference call mode (from here
on they are referred to as internal terminals). Throughout the
session, the device D watches for terminals external to the main
session attempting to set up a call to one of the internal
terminals T1 to T3. If this situation arises, the device D
identifies the calling external terminal (this is the terminal T4
in the present example), each external terminal to which a
connection is requested, and the subject of the call
request(s).
[0025] The first example considers an external terminal T4 that
wishes to send multimedia documents to two of the three internal
terminals, for example the terminals T2 and T3 (this may be
effected in the context of a parallel conference call between the
terminals T2, T3 and T4). On receiving this request, the device D
sets up two parallel calls between the external terminal T4 and the
internal terminals T2 and T3 (dashed line arrow F1), for example,
or a parallel conference session (it is preferable for the internal
party or parties and the external party to be connected by way of a
parallel (or secondary) conference call so that other internal
parties can be added or removed dynamically). To this end, the
device D operates at the level of the user session server SS and
the conference server SC. When these parallel calls have been set
up, or when the parallel conference call has been set up, the
external terminal T4 can exchange multimedia streams with either or
both of the internal terminals T2 and T3 without the terminal T1
being aware of this. The internal parties using the internal
terminals T2 and T3 are able to monitor their media in order to
select one of the conference calls at any time in order to be heard
only by the terminals participating in the main (initial) or
secondary (parallel) conference call that they have selected, for
example by means of different voice frequencies, actuators (buttons
or keypad keys) or icons that can be selected by means of a
mouse.
[0026] In the second example, the external terminal T4 sends a
request indicating that it wishes to intervene in the main
conference call via one of the three internal terminals, for
example the terminal T2. On receiving this request, the device D
sets up a parallel call between the external terminal T4 and the
internal terminal T2 (dashed line arrow F2). To this end it
operates at the level of the user session server SS and the
conference server SC. Note that in this case the parallel
conference call is not restricted to the terminals T2 and T4, the
external terminal T4 being added to the main conference call
without taking the place of the internal terminal T2. The user of
the external terminal T4 can therefore send a multimedia document
to the internal terminal T2, which can then forward it to one or
both of the other two internal terminals T1 and T3. Generally
speaking, if they wish to do so, the terminals T1 to T4 can
exchange multimedia documents via the parallel (or secondary)
conference call. In other words, the four terminals T1 to T4 can
share multimedia documents.
[0027] Many other situations may be envisaged, of course, for
example a parallel or bidirectional multimedia conversation or
listening (and only listening) to the external party.
[0028] The management device D may offer external parties an
Internet (or "web") type interface that offers them a choice of
actions, for example as a function of the respective capacities
and/or hierarchical positions of the parties. Among these actions
there may be cited, for example, discrete listening to enable an
external party to determine the status of a main conference call at
any time, in order to intervene therein if necessary, or the
transfer of a new external party into a main conference call by an
authorized third party.
[0029] The management device D of the invention, and in particular
its management module MG, may take the form of electronic circuits,
software (or electronic data processing) modules or a combination
of circuits and software.
[0030] The invention is not limited to the management device and
network equipment embodiments described above by way of example
only, and encompasses all variants that the person skilled in the
art might envisage that fall within the scope of the following
claims.
* * * * *